The Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony: A Timeless Tradition

In Ethiopia, coffee is far more than a morning pick-me-up. The Ethiopian coffee ceremony, known as buna tetu, is a cornerstone of social life, a ritual that brings families, neighbours, and communities together several times a day.

The Origins

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. Legend tells of a goat herder named Kaldi who noticed his goats dancing with unusual energy after eating berries from a certain tree. From those humble beginnings, coffee cultivation spread across the Ethiopian highlands and eventually around the world. But in Ethiopia, the original way of preparing and sharing coffee has been preserved for centuries.

The Ritual

A traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony takes about an hour and involves three rounds of brewing, each with its own name:

• Abol: the first and strongest brew
• Tona: the second, slightly lighter round
• Baraka: the third and final round, considered a blessing

The host begins by roasting green coffee beans over hot coals in a flat pan called a menkeshkesh. The freshly roasted beans are then ground by hand using a wooden mortar and pestle (mukecha and zenezena), and brewed in a traditional clay pot called a jebena.

More Than Coffee

The ceremony is an act of hospitality and connection. It is often accompanied by burning frankincense, the aroma of freshly popped popcorn or roasted barley, and unhurried conversation. Refusing an invitation to a coffee ceremony can be considered impolite. It is that central to Ethiopian culture.

Bringing the Tradition Home

While you may not have a jebena at home, you can honour the spirit of the ceremony by slowing down, savouring the aroma, and sharing your cup with someone you care about. Our single-origin Ethiopian beans carry the same heritage, from the same highlands where this tradition began.